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Aldergrove Business Association looks to grow community ties

Group’s new president reveals plans for the coming year
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Derrick Pelley was recently elected the new president of the Aldergrove Business Association. (Special to The Star)

Enhanced community engagement and increased business for Aldergrove merchants – these are among the priorities new Aldergrove Business Association member Derrick Pelley is shooting to achieve in his one-year term as president.

Picking up the gauntlet from past-president Jodi Steeves and her ABA team, he’s hoping to “hit the ground running.”

Pelley, who works with Bakerview Memorial Gardens and Advisorly, lives in Maple Ridge but works in Aldergrove.

This is his first year as an ABA member, but after attending a few meetings he described it was a right fit.

“I knew there was a synergy with me in terms of rolling up my sleeves and assisting local businesses grow,” he told The Star, when asked about letting his name stand for top spot.

Pelley spoke to the important role the ABA has had and must continue to maintain in growing Aldergrove.

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“This association is more than just a group of like-minded individuals who happen to work in this community,” he said.

“The ABA is a vehicle, a bridge if you will. We will work diligently to shine a spotlight on our strong offerings in terms of business diversity available locally and to the rest of the Lower Mainland.”

He credits Steeves and other active members such as Karen Long with creating a strong foundation on which to build for himself and the rest of the ABA board elected just a few weeks ago.

“In recent years the ABA has excelled in getting the name out to the community,” he said. Now, he wants to see the group foster some new partnerships with more local shop owners, other business networks, heritage associations, and others with a vested interest in a positive future for Aldergrove.

“By that, I mean we are going to strengthen and forge solid relationships with local governments and community associations alike. We are already talking about how to roll out this program to the benefit of all involved,” Pelley said.

“This initiative will be key to a long-lasting, powerful business relationship between a number of crucial groups in our community.”

He pointed, as an example, to what he called a new-found relationship with the Aldergrove Fair, saying more specific details about that partnership will be forthcoming soon.

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He also noted a desire to increase foot traffic in the core, by encouraging more shopping local.

“It’s time to let the numbers game do its work as we know that our downtown has so much to offer and it’s our responsibility to shout it from the rooftops, so to speak,” Pelley said.

“We want local businesses to know we are working for them in an effort to accomplish two goals: Raise awareness, which will increase foot traffic, and also to provide the membership with a strong voice that has a concrete plan as to how to promote and grow our businesses networking opportunities.”

Excited about what he and the new ABA team can possibly accomplish in the next year, Pelley concluded: “Watch us closely as our new plan unfolds over the coming months.”

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Roxanne Hooper

About the Author: Roxanne Hooper

I began in the news industry at age 15, but honestly, I knew I wanted to be a community journalist even before that.
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